Style Icon: Waris Ahluwalia

In a time where everybody seems to be spending hours browsing the LIFE archive in search of forgotten pictures of Steve McQueen, James Dean, Marlon Brando etc. searching for inspiration and dreaming of days past, we'd like to direct our attention to one of the few style icons of today. Believe it or not, they do exist. They're just often unfortunately overshadowed by people like Justin Timberlake and David Beckham. No offense to Mr. Timberlake & Co but they're hardly likely to be looked back on in a few decades as style icons.

One who very well might be, on the other hand, is Waris Ahluwalia, a man who's rightfully been getting more and more attention lately. Probably most recognized by the majority as an occasional actor, he has frequently appeared in his friend Wes Andersson's films such as "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zisou" and "The Darjeeling Limited". But Mr. Ahluwalia also has an excellent taste when it comes to dressing off-screen, often sporting sharp suits. Case in point, see the pictures. He combines the different pieces with an excellent sartorial taste in an effortless manor that comes across as very honest and genuine, something extremely rare in a fashion world where looks usually change as often as the wind.

Not only does he dress impeccably, he also does a bit of designing himself. Through his company House Of Waris he designs jewelry, drawing inspiration from "the romance and history of Italy and India", which also happens to be the countries where he has his ateliers. The line can be found in select stores around the world like Colette, Maxfield and Dover Street Market. The prices are pretty steep, as much as $66 000. Not bad for someone with no formal training in jewelry making.

The first time we heard of this multi-talented artist was when he did a colloboration with french brand A.P.C. a few years back (AW07 if memory serves us right). Since then we've been keeping a steady eye on him and we think you should too. Start by watching this movie about the making of his jewelry and be sure to catch him in the upcoming movie "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead".

Photo: Courtesy of The Sartorialist